Wat Saket (The Golden Mount)

Wat Saket is an old temple on the eastern edge of the historic centre, best known for Phu Khao Thong, the Golden Mount, an artificial hill crowned by a gilded chedi. The temple dates back to the Ayutthaya period and was renovated and renamed by King Rama I. King Rama III later tried to build an enormous chedi here, but Bangkok's soft ground could not support it and the structure collapsed into a heap of brick and mud that was left to become overgrown. King Rama IV began a smaller chedi on top of the mound, it was completed early in the reign of King Rama V, and a relic of the Buddha brought from Sri Lanka was placed inside.

The climb is the experience. A path spirals gently up the hill past small shrines, bells, gongs and trickling water features, with shady trees for much of the way. At the top, a terrace around the golden chedi gives one of the best free views over the old city: the roofs of the Grand Palace and Wat Pho to the west, Wat Ratchanatdaram's Loha Prasat close by, and the modern towers of the business districts beyond. Visitors ring the bells along the route for good luck.

Every November the temple holds its annual fair, when the chedi is wrapped in a long red cloth and a candlelit procession winds up the hill; it is one of the city's oldest temple festivals and coincides with Loi Krathong. Foreign visitors pay a small fee to climb the mount, and the usual temple etiquette applies, with shoulders and knees covered.

The Golden Mount suits most visitors who can manage a few hundred steps at a gentle gradient, and children usually enjoy the bells. Allow about an hour. Late afternoon is a good time for softer light and cooler air, and sunset views over Rattanakosin can be lovely.

The temple stands beside the Mahakan Fort and the Ong Ang and Saen Saep canals; the Saen Saep canal boats terminate at Phan Fa Lilat pier, a short walk away. Wat Ratchanatdaram, the Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall, Mahakan Fort and Ratchadamnoen Avenue are all nearby, and Khao San Road is about fifteen minutes' walk.